Scholarships available in high-wage, high-demand fields

Advanced manufacturing at KCTCS is just one of many fields that students can apply for a Work Ready Kentucky scholarship. Photo: Chris Witzke

Scholarships in the form of free tuition are available for Kentuckians interested in pursuing a certificate or degree in five fields: health care, advanced manufacturing, transportation/logistics, business services/information technology, and construction trades.

The Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship (WRKS) program provides free tuition for programs deemed high wage, high demand. Recipients can take up to 32 credit hours tuition free. The scholarships are available at any of the state’s four-year public universities, schools within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), or accredited colleges in Kentucky.

Anyone who has not yet earned a college degree of any type is eligible. Applicants must have a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate.

There are no income or age limits to qualify. However, prospective students must first apply for federal financial aid before they are eligible to apply for the WRKS. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is available at www.fafsa.gov, and the WRKS application can be found at kheaa.com.

There are state and federal deadlines for submitting a FAFSA application. Check the left side of the home page under “deadlines” to determine which apply since federal and state deadlines are different, and deadlines at the various colleges can also be different.

The 16 colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System offer the most programs in these fields, according to Mary Hemlepp, senior communications strategist for KCTCS. Many of these programs can be completed in four months or less and lead to careers that pay higher salaries than some requiring a bachelor’s degree. Many of the schools have also expanded programs in these areas and are offering night classes as well.

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